Member Article

SureCav saves Housebuilders over 80,000 tonnes of concrete in their builds

Today SureCav, a pioneering brand of cavity wall membrane, announces the use of its SureCav25 and SureCav50 in place of traditional backing blocks has saved the manufacture of 80,000 tonnes of concrete blocks, replacing it with 1000 tonnes recycled plastic over the last decade.

This equates to 4000 (20 tonne) lorry loads of blocks being replaced by 50 (20 tonne) lorry loads of recycled plastic.

For projects in which SureCav has been specified, it has halved the carbon footprint of the cavity construction when compared to traditional methods. The news comes as part of SureCav’s ongoing commitment to developing innovative materials while addressing the challenge of repurposing waste plastic to create sustainable, low-impact building products.

In a rapidly evolving construction landscape, housebuilders and developers are increasingly looking to materials to help meet ambitious net-zero carbon targets. SureCav is actively providing a solution through reducing the amount of concrete required within the build process. Equally, it reduces haulage emissions from merchant to site as it’s significantly lighter and proportionally smaller than concrete blocks.

Made from 100% recycled polypropylene, SureCav is also one of a host of emerging products which provides a low impact answer to the unacceptable amounts of waste plastic which exist globally. One of the world’s largest producers of waste plastic, the construction industry urgently needs to address the problem by phasing out non-recyclable materials and re-purposing recyclable ones. This product offers one answer to the problem.

An essential aspect of SureCav’s eco-friendly approach has been its continued commitment since launching in 2004 to delivering a product made from 100% recycled material. This has been made possible through its ongoing relationship with the British Board of Agrément (BBA), which has helped the brand develop its formula to manufacture a truly sustainable product.

Managing director and founder Charlie Ayers comments, “We have worked closely with the BBA for many years, developing a product which directly addresses how we deal with waste plastic and offers a viable alternative to concrete backing blocks, in terms of sustainability and performance.

“I’m proud of the work we have done over the years to help developers design out such a high quantity of concrete. However, this is currently on a small scale and could be much higher. My vision over the next decade is to see ten times the tonnage of concrete saved through the incorporation of more eco-friendly materials in cavity walls. Furthermore, I look forward to working with British housebuilders to explore more positive, long-term uses for recycled plastics in the building process as well as phasing out as much unsustainable material as possible in low rise masonry and natural stone builds.”

Wendy Ajuwan, the BBA’s head of marketing, adds, “SureCav is a great illustration of a company taking its environmental performance seriously. They continue to work with us to ensure certification remains in place throughout product research, development and product implementation.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by SureCav .